Fluid-gate or faucet



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JARED W. SMITH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

FLUID-GATE OR FAUCET.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,810, dated March 10, 1857.

To all whom l? may concern Be it known that I, JARED W. SMrrH. of

the city and county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Fluid-Gates or Faucets, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exactI description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this speciiication,and in which- Figure l represents a face or front view of a faucet,closed; Fig. 2 a similar view of the same device as it appears inopening, and when open; and Fig. 3 a vertical section taken at rightangles to the face of the faucet.

My improvement has reference to that description of fluid gate or faucetin which a sliding gate operated by hand lever is used for opening andclosing the discharge pipe or orifice of the faucet. These faucets havebeen so variously constructed that only slight reference here can bemade to a few of them. The gate, usually arranged in front of theAdischarge pipeor plug, has been operated by lever bot-h withl astraight and curvilinear stroke or movement. The straight movementhowever, at right angles to or across the orifice, is preferable to thecurvilinear one as it avoids allI tendency of t-he discharge to one sidemore than the other. Most of these faucets have been provided with sometightening or adjusting screw arrangement, also with guiding slots todirect the gate and lever in their proper line of action, and with stopsto arrest the movement of the operating lever at the ends of its stroke;but the majority of these arrangements have comprised an objectionablenumber of screws, rivets and other parts, or, in case of the leverbreaking, which sometimes occurs in frosty weather and on undue violenceor pressure being applied t-o open and close the gate, overcome stickingand so forth, the gate not unfrequently detaches or hangs and allows thefluid to run to waste, and a rigid or otherwise equivalent attachment ofthe gate or valve to the operating lever is highly objectionable on thisaccount. Furthermore, it is well known that great difficulty isfrequently experienced in starting the gate or valve by t-he ordinaryleverage which the handle gives, though said leverage is sufficient tomove the gate after it has been fairly started: rust-ing of the partsfrom want of usage, and sometimes, the nature of t-he fluid leaking atthe mouth of the faucet, induces this sticking of the gate.

The faucet shown in the accompanying drawing presents less objections inthese respects than most or all others of the kind to which it relates.In it, the sliding gate or valve (A) has a vertical o-r straight liftacross the mouth of the discharge plug (B) as in others I have referredto, the plug having the usual packing (b) in front of it. The slide isguided in its vertical movement by an extension (a) of it workingbetween projections (o) on the standard (C), and by a flange (cl) of anutv (e) fitting o-n the end of an adjusting and tightening screw (D)that passes through the extension (a) of the`slide, said flange (d)working between guide strips (f) on the back of t-he standard. Theturning of the screw (D) from the front serves to tighten or adjust theslide, the nut (e) of the screw nut turning but by its flange (al)serving to guide the slide, and, in case of disconnection of the lever(E) from the slide, serving to prevent the slide (A) from dropping toolow and letting the fluid run to waste. The lever (E), I make totallydistinct from the slide, and, in case of breakage or from any otherreason for its disconnection, it is independent as it were from theslide, or the slide may be taken olf for repairs without removing thelever, a recess (g) being cut or formed in the back of the extension (a)of the slide in which recess the lift-ing or .bearing part of the leveron the slide lies,

as represented in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The better to overcome sticking at starting of the slide, and avoid thenecessity of blows which are apt to break the lever, I construct thelever with a slotted arm (71,) at its back end, somewhat similar to aformer construction in a previous application for patent, but whichslotted extremity performed a very different function. In the presentcase, either inner end of the slotted arm (It) becomes the bearingsurface of the lever upon a fulcrum pin (i), alternately, but only forthe concluding portion of the movement in the lift of the slide, anauxiliary or closer fulcrum pin (7c) on the standard forming the fulcrumor bearing surface of the lever in starting the slide to open it, aswill be evident from inspection of the parts as exhibited in Fig. l ofthe drawing. Thus, when the slide is fully down,

use of the closer fulcrum (7s).

as in Fig. l, and the hand applied to raise the handle or lever, it willbe seen that the pin (7c) first forms the fulcrum to the lever, wherebya more advantageous leverage is obtained to overcome sticking and fairlystart the slide; but upon its being fairly started, as represented byblack lines in Fig. 2, the fulcruin then is changed to the back pin forthe remainder of the up stroke, as is shown by red lines in Fig. 2,which change presents a less advantageous leverage as regards lifting`force on thel slide but thev sticking having been overcome i`tgivessufficient power to work the slide the remainder of its up strokewithout the disadvantage of loss of speed as occurs in the Thisadvantageous change of fulcrum in the lift involves no stoppage orchange of motion as regards direction. If requisite both hands may beconveniently applied to start the slide open, namely, one hand upon thehandle end of the lever to raise it and the other hand used to pressdown on the upper end .or head of the slot-ted arm (h).

vWhen running off fluid from a Cask with the gate set only partiallyopen, as is frequently preferable, the lever is free to rock in therecess (g) of the extension piece (a) without disturbing the set of theslide, so that any slight accidental agitation of the lever will have noeffect on the slide.

An equivalent to the slotted arm of the lever and pin might be used, bymaking a similar slot in the standard and having the pin (i) attached tothe lever in place of the slot; or other variations made, const-itutingin effect a like fulcrum changing stop arrangement.

`What I claim here as new and useful in faucets or fluid gates of thedescription referred to, is:-

l. The slide (A) guided, secured and made adjustable as described by thescrew pin (D) and nut (e) having a guiding flange (cl) for travel withinguide strips (f), when the same are used in connection with an operatinglever loosely connected, by recess (g), with said slide, for the moreconvenient removal of the parts and retention of the slide in case ofbreakage of the lever, and for the more free and independent operationof the parts and so that the one bolt (D) holds the slide without theaid of the lever.

2. I also claim, in the combination of the lever (E) and slide (A), ortherewith, the fulcrums (i and 7a) at different distances from thecenter of the slide, and slotted arm (7L), for operation in the mannerand for the purposes substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JARED W. SMITH.

Witnesses A. GREGORY, JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD.

